Sunday, November 22, 2009

January 2010 will mark the beginning of the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. What will this mean for your life?

Here Gerald Flurry is using the failed 19 year time cycles to once again spread fear inducing false prophecies again.

This is based on the 19 year cycle beginning from the first regular broadcast of the World Tomorrow radio program on January 7, 1934.

The progression goes the following manner: 1934-1953-1972-1991-2010.

1934: First regular broadcast of World Tomorrow. The dating starts at January 7, 1934, even though the first broadcast was on October 11, 1933.

1953: The World Tomorrow begins broadcasting on Radio Luxemburg on January 7. This event later inspires HWA and Hoeh to unveil a 19 year cycle prophecy that predicted that the commission of the Philadelphia church era would end upon the completion of this 19 year time cycle, followed by the Great Tribulation of three and a half years duration ending with the return of Jesus Christ in 1975.

1972: The 1972-1975 prophecy fails. This proves that all this talk of 19 year cycles was completly in error and exposed Herbert W. Armstrong as a false prophet which Scripture warns us to stay away from. Despte this most dramatic failure the false prophets of the COGs continue to exploit this failed idea to spread false prophecies.

1991: When Gerald Flurry was writing Malachi's Message, which he would later claim to be the Little Book of Revelation 10 from 1992 onwards while under the employ of WCG he wished to unveil Malachi's Message to condemn Tkach Sr. in January 1991 to coincide with this time cycle. He was fired in December 1989 and was unable to follow his original schedule. Instead he devised the January 16 doctrine. Later he pointed to January 16, the anniversary of HWA's death in 1986, as a date of prophetic importance. When the Gulf War began this was taken as a sign of the fulfillment of the January 16 prophecy, convienently ignoring the fact that armed combat began on January 17, one day too late.

2010: Now, seeing this 19 year cycle ending/beginning now, Gerald Flurry again uses this false and failed idea to spread fear inducing prophecies based on this failed prophetic pattern that is highly artificial and completely useless in foreseeing the future. Let us see what he says.

Gerald Flurry begins this telecast with this dramatic statement.

In the next two months the Holy Roman Empire is going to be official in Europe.

Later on he adds these words.

In January 1st, 2010, they will implement their diplomatic service. They will appoint a foreign minister and a president. And will officially become the Holy Roman Empire.

Please note these events are said to occur on January 1, not January 7 or January 16, the two dates given significance by PCG's belief system. January 1st fulfills neither the 19 year time cycles which begins and ends on January 7, or the January 16 anniversary of HWA's death.

But the unsuspecting and uninformed viewer will have no idea that Gerald Flurry is referring to all this when he makes these dramatic false prophecies.

PCG ignores this discrepancy and simply glides over these difficulties, leaving the unsuspecting viewer totally unaware of the problems of these statements.

Sometimes it is stated that some of the more conservative COGs are just like WCG under HWA. Personally I prefer to emphasize that all of them are different from WCG in order to emphasize that they are not the same. Each one of them can be found to have some difference from the old WCG.

PCG has accumulated a ton of new doctrines which expand upon or even contradict old WCG. Perhaps the most obvious point is their new understanding concerning the identity of the Man of Sin. In old WCG, and in LCG while I was a follower of them, the teaching was that the Man of Sin would be the 'final Pope'. Today Gerald Flurry teach that Tkach is the Man of Sin. Originally he said it was Tkach Sr. but after he died he was replaced by Tkach, Jr. In Raising the Ruins they try to get around these problems by suggesting that Tkach Sr, was just a puppet of mysterious forces, thus retroactively disqualifying Tkach Sr from being the Man of Sin.

LCG has made various changes. They have no Apostle or Prophet, instead they have Presiding Evangelist. LCG has decided that women wearing make up is permissible.

UCG has made changes. The most obvious being their acceptance of some form of deliberative government, and a rejection of the stern one man rule approach used so ineffectively by HWA.

RCG has made changes. Dave Pack is quite skillful in presenting himself as being more faithful to old WCG than any of the other COGs. But ultimately this is untrue. Pack teaches that the King of the South is Ethiopia. This ignores the fact that the old WCG at various times did suggest that there would be a future King of the South as LCG apologist Bob Theil shows.

(Other COGs such as LCG and PCG teach that there is a yet future King of the South. LCG says a future Arab caliphate. PCG's 'That Prophet' has been much more specific, insisting that this will be Iran.)

CGG has embraced mainstream Christianity's understanding of the meaning of being born again.

So you see each of these COGs contain some deviancy from the original WCG. Therefore I feel it is better to emphasize that these churches are different from old WCG rather than emphasize their continuity.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Meredith's asking for more money again from his eternally abused flock. He is about to send his semi-annual letter which is sent to Tomorrow's World subscribers who have not yet sent in any money to them.

Because of the situation in the Work and in the world—especially the terrible recession we are just coming out of, most of you realize that our income has been dragging somewhat. So although we are up more than three percent in our income year-to-date, we still need much more resources in order to move ahead and do the things I am sure God would want us to do. With this in mind, please encourage the brethren to pray for the Work—and especially ask them—all of our people—to pray fervently for the semi-annual letter which is just now being mailed out! This letter is being sent out to a total of 287,752 worldwide and, through our prayers, could have a very significant impact on the number of new donors, co-workers and members coming with us over the next several months. These letters only go out twice a year, as you know, so we need to understand the vital importance of our prayers. Ask God to bless the letter and move people to act so they can be part of the Work of God at the end of the age.

And so this terrible exploitative charade by this false prophet continues.

On other matters LCG has provided information concerning Feat of Tabernacles attendance.

Attendance was up substantially in the USA and at our international sites, which is very encouraging. In the U.S.A., attendance was close to 4,000 (approximately 14% more than last year). In international areas, attendance was more than 3,600, (approximately 4% more than last year). (November 5, 2009 Weekly Update.)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

I don't necessarily agree with everything this man says but Robert Spencer is right to highlight the outrages which Christian minorities are forced to endure within the Dar al-Islam, some of which are highlighted in this little pamphlet of his, Muslim Persecution of Christians.

This booklet is published by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a conservative organization.

(Incidentally this booklet is hosted by the Assyrian International News Agency, which is run by real Assyrians, not Germans as HWA taught in imitation of the British-Israelism movement.)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

HWA, Hoeh and Co. used Hyslop's account of Nimrod and Semiramis to demonize certain widely held practices and beliefs in order to compel potential recruits to draw onto HWA into their cult.

They used Alexander Hyslop's The Two Babylons. It is an 1850s anti-Catholic polemic insisting that many practices of Catholicism actually came from ancient Babylon and originated with a cult originally honoring Nimrod and Semiramis. Hyslop used this idea to condemn the Catholic Church as part of a long tradition of mutual hostility dating back to the Reformation, if not earlier.

This idea turned out to be very useful for HWA and Co. Using Hyslop's idea they could say that not only is Christmas, Easter, St. Valentine's Day "pagan" (like the Roman alphabet this article is written in) but they were started by this enemy of God.

And by adding the charge of incest to Nimrod and Semiramis they throw in the thought of that which is most vile.

What a way to demonize such perfectly normal and widespread practices. What a way to repel people from events many hold special memories of. HWA did not just condemn them as pagan the same way Jehovah's Witnesses do, he was able to inject the thought of that which is most vile and claim they were produced by people who engaged in such things. What a way to horrify truth seeking people.

When I read that book I found it curious that the subtitle of it is "The Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife", not his wife-mother, as HWA and Hoeh portrayed. As far as I know it was HWA and Hoeh who created that specific incest charge.

However I have read the following from xHWA: "Hislop in various pages of his book referred to Semiramis as being Nimrod’s wife, and again his daughter, and again his mother, and again that Nimrod had two mothers, and again nine mothers."

HWA and Co., while looking at this contradictory material, must have decided to adopt this mother-wife story in order to harmonize as much of this contradictory information as possible.

The real point of making potential recruits shun such common practices is to isolate them from the (evil) 'world' and therefore fall under the influence (and control) of HWA. This doctrine was part of HWA's cunning plan to alienate potential recruits from the rest of society and thus fall under the spell of HWA and do whatever they are told to do by WCG. This story was carefully adapted and deployed to enslave people into the abusively exploitative environment of WCG.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Once Hoeh wrote an article condemning St. Valentine's Day in the March, 1966 Plain Truth. In this article he claimed that St. Valentine's Day (they said the same thing about Christmas) was derived from a cult centered upon Nimrod. He is pretty much imitating Hyslop.

Here he further elaborated on the Armstrongite Nimrod-Semiramis myth. Here he claims that Semiramis lusted after her newborn son when he was born on January 6 (Epiphany) and he was presented to the community on February 15, which includes the evening of February 14, hence we get St. Valentine's Day.

It is said that when Nimrod's mother saw him, she LUSTED after him -- she DESIRED him. [Who said this?] Nimrod became her Cupid -- her desired one -- and later her Valentine! So evil was Nimrod's mother that IT IS SAID SHE MARRIED HER OWN SON! Inscribed on the monuments of ancient Egypt are inscriptions that Nimrod (the Egyptians called him Osiris) was "the husband of his mother."

What memorials is Hoeh talking about? Is there any evidence to support an alternative viewpoint? Does that prove that Semiramis lusted after her son? No. I am starting to think he just made that part of the sickening story up. Just pulled it out of thin air to horrify and sicken trusting readers.

Observe what artful demonization this article employs to vilify Valentine's Day. The reader is told that this day actually refers to an incident of (desired) incest! Imagine some trusting reader who celebrated this day, who may even have some treasured memory associated with this day, and then to be told that this day honors a terrible tyrant, even a moment of incest.

The whole point of this article is to isolate the potential recruit. To make such a person reject a widespread practice of society thus isolating him from the rest of world and making that person more willing to cling to the 'geniuses' of Ambassador College, when really they are unknowing submitting themselves to HWA.

Just one point, earlier in the article Hoeh also stated this:

The ancient name of Rome, before it was rebuilt in 753 B.C., was Saturnia -- the site of Saturn's (Nimrod's) hiding. There he was found and slain for his crimes.

However as xHWA showed us earlier Saturnia was actually a town that got swallowed up into the expanding of Rome. Saturnia is not Rome! It was a town that got absorded into Rome.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Speaking of the Nimrod-Semiramis incest story that was told by HWA and Hoeh in the 1950s, this story was also extended to the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten in his Compendium of World History. In that book Hoeh reinterpreted Egyptian chronology, largely burrowing from Immanuel Velikovsky as may be seen here. There Hoeh asserted that Akhenaten had done the same thing. This is from Chapter 7.

[Akhenaten was] a sexual deviate who used the cloak of religion to beget children by his own mother and daughters -- not to speak of his attraction toward his son Smenkhkare....

Dissension and jealousy sundered Egypt's government during the El-Amarna period. It was, in part, the result of infiltration of foreign influence during the reign of Amenhotpe III. The book of Sothis records of his day: "The Ethiopians, removing from the River Indus, settled near Egypt."

They brought with them not only the concept of marriages between uterine brothers and sisters, a practice already established in Egypt by the royalty of Sheba, but of the marriage of parents with children. Children of the union of a mother and son were deemed especially well born. Akhenaten inherited this concept through his father's marriage relationships. But the practice was revolting to many Egyptians of high rank. No known ruler among them since the time of the Ethiopian Nimrod had dared marry his own mother and beget children of her.

Akhenaten did it because he regarded himself as a new incarnation of Nimrod, the sun-god. Hence the name Orus applied to the king [Akhenaten]. Orus is another spelling of Horus, third king of Egypt, who was anciently assumed to be the first incarnation of Nimrod.

So not only did Nimrod marry his mother but Akhenaten also did the same thing in direct imitation of Nimrod.

I well remember when I first read The Plain Truth about Christmas booklet by HWA. That was when I first read about HWA's Nimrod story. I was amazed with the knowledge of Nimrod HWA produced. He boldly proclaimed to me that Nimrod had married his own mother, a woman named Semiramis.

It was only later I discovered that this story actually came from Hyslop's book, The Two Babylons. I read that book online. I did not see any mention that Semiramis was Nimrod's mother. Maybe he did say that once somewhere but I thought there would be more emphasis on that matter.

So where did this idea come from? As far as I can tell this seems to have come from Hoeh and Co. I am not certain about this. If anyone can better explain this I would be most intrigued to know.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Here's a video of Senator Alan Grayson revealing the terrible toll upon American society due the lack of affordable healthcare and the present rationing of healthcare insurance by private insurance interests. Here he names Congressional representatives and then tells how many have died due to the lack of affordable healthcare insurance.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

This might be difficult. This is about HWA, art, fiction specifically, and his effect.

HWA in his autobiography, in which he completely 'forgets' to tell us about his manyfalseprophecies, (1936, Mussolini as Beast, Hitler as Beast) he does remember to tell us that he has not read much fiction.

That winter, beside the warm fire of burning oak logs, I read through three or four books of fiction -- about the only fiction reading of my entire life. I did what I could to help on the farm, but that wasn't much, and my wife, of course, did the cooking, and housework. (Chapter 13.)

He also remembered to tell us his personal views on fiction.

I confined my reading in magazines to informative and thought-provoking articles, resisting fiction almost altogether. Fiction is the lazy man's reading. Like the movies, and today's TV programs, it is merely a ready-made daydream, inducing habits of mind-drifting. (Chapter 8.)

And then (strangely) just a few words later he lecture us about 'vision.'

This is the quality, rare among people (but why should it be? [It might have something to do with your authoritarian ways, HWA.-Redfox712]), called VISION....the big majority never think beyond their present jobs -- never think out ways to do the job better, or to develop or expand their own job into something bigger, or to be preparing themselves for the better jobs ahead and promotions to them

How is vision, which here means dreaming about future possibilities, different from dreaming about possibilities experienced through reading fiction?

His view on fiction is wrong and is completely ignorant of the tremendous power fiction can achieve in its readers. Fiction is not "lazy man's reading" it is an exploration of human creativity, a way of expanding the mind. Fiction is story telling. So is history. So is any other written narrative. Many of those historical books seen on libraries or the hallowed halls of academic institutions tell stories. HWA does not see the power of fiction.

Fiction can be used to inspire people and even have dramatic impact upon people's lives. It is extremely simplistic and ignorant for HWA to just dismiss it all as vanity. He did not qualify it by saying it was just his opinion, he stated it as though it was the uncontestable truth.

I am sorry to say this but I was so taken in by HWA that after I read these words I very seriously considered giving up reading fiction all together. I shudder at the thought of how much power his words had over me.

Thankfully after reading a particularly exciting story I decided that reading fiction and dreaming up your own fictional scenarios was perfectly fine and did not contradict God's will.

Herman Hoeh did not let HWA's prejudices stop him from reading fiction. As related to us by Mike Snyder:

I took the time to examine the many shelves of books he had. I was struck by the fact that he had the entire collection of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series. I asked him about it, thinking that they were intended to be donated. He replied that they were his, to my great surprise. His explanation? “The ability to read is a gift. What we place into our minds by using this gift must be selected with care, as everything we read influences us. Those books [Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew] are simple but satisfying for a tired mind desiring entertainment. They always end with justice being served. In my view, they represent a suitable alternative to the rubbish that many unfortunately prefer.”

HWA's view of fiction is absolutely wrong. Yet another matter in which he is totally wrong and in error.

If You are new please read this

Hand in Hand for Syria

Keep Somalia's Remittances Open

I encourage readers to sign this petition from Oxfam calling upon the U.S. government to let the Somali diaspora continue to send remittance to their loved ones in Somalia.

Moves have been made to shut down such remittances from Somalis in America. Many Somalis need these remittances. The remittances to Somalia are larger than foreign aid contributions and are a lifeline to these people caught in trouble and turmoil.

It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most.

So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning".

Truth about Roderick C. Meredith

What sort of man is he? A man who could say things like this.

"Mr. Armstrong has reminded us again that we are to disfellowship any members who attend GTA's [Garner Ted Armstrong's] campaigns, church services or other meetings. Some of our weaker members apparently do not realize that this man is in direct rebellion against God and His government! We must not allow them, or ourselves, to rationalize about this matter, to try to "help the underdog," or in any other way lend support to one whose gross immorality, whose long standing "play acting" and hypocrisy, and whose direct insubordination to the Government of God has long been and is now a source of confusion and DIVISION among God's people. So, as per Mr. Armstrong's instruction, I charge and exhort every one of you faithful ministers of the living Christ to explain this in no uncertain terms to your members, to warn them about this cause of division and then to disfellowship any who consort with GTA or any of his fellows." (Roderick C. Meredith, Pastor's Report, May 21, 1979, pp. 1-2.)

David Robinson on Roderick C. Meredith

"During the ten years I have been an employee of the Worldwide Church, you have been poorly spoken of by most of the ministers and employees I have known. I vividly remember the absolute unbounded glee that was openly expressed by a good number of respected men in the church when you were first "shanghaied." [In 1972.] I could begin by naming names, which I am sure would shock you. I was one of the few who stood, where possible, for you. Your tenure as superintendent of ministers, as I believe the office was then called, was looked on as nightmarish. While you held office during the years of growth, most of those whom I know gave you very little credit for that growth. Almost everyone whom I know, whether they be former friends of yours, or continuing foes, recalls insensitive and terrible things you have done. Without exception, at least among my acquaintances, they all credit you with an unbridled lust for power and list you as one who is willing to pay the price of gaining that power, no matter what. I have, through many of the last few years, believed you had principles you would not violate. Many a man of experience in the church assured me of my error. Events have proven me wrong and them right. Mr. Armstrong has himself been widely quoted as saying of you that you were so righteous that you were so "righteous you were unrighteous." " (David Robinson, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web, Chapter 16, p. 207.)

Of course it is impossible for me to personally verify these assertions but people deserve to know what this knowledgeable man had to say about him.